Giving rugrats nutritious food just encourages them

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Where does one turn in order to give babies fresh,
organic food?Babies deserve the best possible start in life, so
giving them nutritious food is a must, not only for good health but also to
establish positive eating habits as early as possible. According to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine,
commercial baby foods, many of which are made up of condensed fruits and
vegetables, can contain high concentrations of pesticide residues. “A
lot of these pesticides are toxic to the brain,” says Philip
Landrigan, a professor of pediatrics and preventative medicine at Mount
Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Citing studies that have linked
smaller head circumference and reduced intelligence in babies to in utero
exposure to pesticides consumed by their mothers, Landrigan says that it is
best not to gamble when it comes to baby food. If you’re not already serving organic baby
food, CU urges you to make the switch as soon as possible. A 2005 study
ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measured pesticide
levels in the urine of 23 children in Washington state before and after a
switch to an organic diet. After five straight days on the diet, pesticide
measures fell to undetectable levels and remained so until the conventional
diets were resumed. The researchers concluded: “An organic diet
provides a dramatic and immediate protective effect” against
pesticide exposure. Fortunately for concerned parents, the organic-food
industry is growing rapidly, and one result is the availability of a wide
selection of organic baby foods in both natural-foods stores and mainstream
supermarkets. Some leading jar- and box-based choices come from Gerber,
Earth’s Best, and Homemade Baby, among others. Frozen meals from the
likes of Happy Baby, Plum Organics, Bobo Baby, and other relative upstarts
mix good flavor and fresh healthy ingredients with convenience. Using the
power of cold temperatures to keep their foods fresh allows these companies
to avoid the use of traditional preservatives. Happy Baby’s frozen meals come in individual
cubes in such flavors as “Baby Dahl and Mama Grain,” an organic
mixture of bananas, black beans, and quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Quinoa,
a high-protein whole grain, is considered a complete protein because it
contains all eight essential amino acids. Plum Organics offers flash-frozen nutrient-rich
organic meals that come in reusable 4-ounce cups in such varieties as
“Super Greens” (peas, spinach, and green beans) and “Red
Lentil Veggie” (potatoes, carrots, corn, and red lentils). Bobo Baby
specializes in organic, kosher and allergen-free flash-frozen baby meals. For parents inclined toward cooking instead of
opening jars or microwaving, making baby food from fresh organic
ingredients does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. Fresh Baby
sells cooking kits, cookbooks, and food trays to help parents concoct and
serve the freshest and healthiest baby food possible right from their own
kitchens. For more information:
Earth’s Best, www.earthsbest.com; Homemade Baby,
www.homemadebaby.com; Happy Baby, www.happybaby.com; Bobo Baby,
www.bobobaby.com; Plum Organics; www.plumorganics.com; Fresh Baby,
www.freshbaby.com. Send questions to Earth Talk, care of E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.